by S. G. Rogers
“Fred made me stop for fast food on the way over to your house,” Casey replied. “I bought some extra just in case.”
“That was smart.”
“Actually, it was Fred's idea,” Casey replied.
Jon glanced in Fred’s direction, but he’d walked over to the stream to get a drink. I guess I owe him one, he thought.
As Casey handed the food around, Adam and Eve whinnied.
“You guys want a burger?” Jon offered.
“Dragons hunt for themselves,” Kira said. “Puledens, usually.”
“Oh. Right,” Jon said. He released the dragons from their harnesses and patted their necks. “You two get lunch. Only leave the unicorns alone, okay?”
Adam and Eve took off in a whoosh. A few moments later they disappeared over the treetops.
“Your dragons are beautiful, Jon,” Casey said. “I've seen a lot of things on Yden that make me wonder if Earth mythology started as reality here.”
“Yeah, me, too. I wish my dad were around to answer my questions,” Jon said. “Such as, how do I get better at this magic stuff?”
“Young wizards apprentice for years before they reach the age of maturity. There’s a period of intense training before their powers come to full strength. You’re untrained and yet quite powerful, Jon Hansen. That makes you unusual,” Kira said.
A flock of fluttering, winged creatures swooped toward them.
“Duck,” Kira cried.
“Ducks?” Fred asked. “They don’t look like ducks to me.”
“What are those?” Casey yelled.
“Bitwings,” Kira said. “Cover your heads.”
Fred waved his arms. “Scat,” he yelled.
Kira smacked him. “Do not annoy them! They will suck out your blood if you make them angry.”
The bitwings kept coming in a seemingly endless wave.
“Is this normal?” Jon asked Kira.
“It's a bitwing stampede,” Fred said.
“They are fleeing something,” Kira replied.
“Are they scared of the dragons, do you think?” Casey asked.
The bitwings passed and Kira jumped to her feet. “We should flee as well,” she said. “Bitwings are afraid of very little. Not even dragons.”
They reached the forest just as another flock of flying beasts flew overhead, circling the clearing as if searching for something.
“Those aren't wingbats,” Fred muttered.
“Bitwings,” Casey corrected. “But you’re right. They look more like flying monkeys.”
“Gnoamian Imps!” Kira exclaimed.
“What’re ‘No Man's Imps’?” Fred asked, peering upward. “They’re kind of cute in an ugly way.”
“Imps are the magical creatures guarding Gnoamian Territory. They may look innocent, but they have razor-sharp teeth. Once they swarm…” Kira trailed off with a shudder.
Jon’s ring flared and Casey slapped his hand over it. “Cover the light,” he warned. “We don't need to attract unwanted attention.”
“Good idea,” Jon said. He stuck Ophelia in his armpit. “We’re still in Mandral Territory, aren’t we, Kira?”
“Yes.”
“I wonder what Gnoamian Imps are doing here?” Jon asked.
As the creatures swarmed, Jon noticed a black bird flying among them, unafraid. Kira saw it, too. “The Imps are looking for us! That's a spyrrow. I saw it at Mandral's castle,” she said.
“What’s a spyrrow?” Fred asked.
He stood up to see the black bird better. Jon and Casey grabbed him by the shoulders to pull him down. For a long moment, Ophelia's glow was visible. The Imps stopped swirling and formed a big, black arrow of death pointing straight at Jon.
“Oh, no,” he murmured.
“Now would be a good time to transport us elsewhere, wizard,” Kira said.
The Gnoamian Imps rustled closer, the gnashing of their teeth sounding like the sharpening of knives. A rush of cold air preceded the Imps’ descent through the trees. Fred, Casey, and Kira grabbed onto Jon wherever they could.
“Dude!” Fred yelled, his voice rising two octaves above normal. “Go, go, go!”
Take me to Brett, Jon thought.
The Imps were so close some were vaporized in the flash of light and energy from Jon’s transport—but not before one of them clamped down on Fred’s arm.
****
With her back facing the cavern, Brett edged along a jutting lip of rock no deeper than eight inches. Her destination was a flat, rocky platform where she could rest, but to reach it, she'd have to perform a back handspring. The move was risky, and the deep chasm yawning below left no room for error. Before she lost her nerve, she bent her knees and launched herself into space. Her hands found the platform, but as her feet landed, the edge of the platform crumbled. With her lower limbs dangling over nothingness, she tightened her grip and began to pull herself up to safety.
A sudden burst of loud howling caused her to slip. Conundrum and Efysian stood at the edge of the grotto, staring right at her. Unnerved, Brett felt herself fall. She managed to grab onto a rocky knob, but as her body twisted, she faced out toward open space. She dangled there, hanging by one arm.
“It was a valiant effort, Kira, but you've lost,” Efysian said.
Although she was trembling with fear and effort, Brett found a ledge with her toe. She dropped onto it and pressed herself against the rock.
“You've caused me a lot of trouble, Kira. Climb back the way you came. Otherwise, I'll send Conundrum after you,” Efysian said.
Efysian must be bluffing, Brett thought. Unless the brutish animal can fly, there’s no way Conundrum can get to me.
“Go howl at the moon. And quit calling me Kira,” she retorted.
When she glanced back at Efysian, she was shocked at how old and shriveled he had become. She blinked...were her eyes were playing tricks on her in the dim light? Suddenly Conundrum made the leap from the edge of the grotto to one of the flat outcroppings thrusting upward from the cavern floor. The jump spanned fifteen feet at least, but the wolf made it look easy. Brett began to panic. Only three other rocky islands stood between him and the far tunnel. The monster would cut off her exit if she didn't move.
She took a running start and leaped toward her next target. Fortunately she managed to land on the rock island, but her momentum almost toppled her off the other side. Conundrum had also made another jump and was closing in. With no time to rest, Brett backed up a few paces and then hurtled toward the last rocky shelf. Her fingers, now bloody and raw, gripped the edge. She pulled herself up and ran, but she was knocked flat by what felt like a lightning bolt. The sound of thunder assailed her ears, and the scent of ozone filled the air. Brett lay in the tunnel, stunned.
****
Jon materialized underground, with Casey, Kira, and Fred grabbing onto him in a haphazard fashion. Fred immediately flailed around, screaming in pain. “Somebody kill this gargoyle!” he yelled.
He pried the Gnoamian Imp off his arm and hurled it to the ground. As Kira dispatched it with her sword, Fred clamped a hand over his Imp bite and whimpered.
“Where are we?” Casey asked. “It looks like a tunnel of some kind.”
“It’s a crypt,” Fred muttered.
“I don't honestly know,” Jon replied.
The daylight filtering in from a covered opening about twenty yards away illuminated the rocky debris and dirt sifting down on their heads.
“That's not a good sign,” Casey said, coughing.
“What do you mean?” Jon asked.
“The energy of the transport has destabilized the tunnel,” he said. “Nobody make any more loud noises.”
“I’m waiting outside,” Fred said.
“I’m not leaving until I know why Ophelia brought us here,” Jon said.
“Suit yourself,” Fred said. “I’m done.” He headed toward the opening.
With Ophelia lighting the way, Casey and Kira followed Jon deeper into the tunnel. Blinking a
sudden downdraft of dirt out of his eyes, Jon stumbled over someone sprawled in the passageway.
“Ow,” Brett exclaimed. “Jon?” Then she noticed Casey and Kira. “How did you guys get here?”
“Thank goodness we found you,” Jon said. He helped Brett to stand. “Are you okay?”
“No!” she cried. “There's a big, freaky dog after me—”
She shrank back as Conundrum's ugly head entered the tunnel. Jon threw a ball of fire at the wolf. Conundrum screamed as he took the firestorm full in his face. With a howl, he fell backward into the grotto. There was a yelp as the beast hit the bottom, then silence. Jon winced as Ophelia gave him a warning sting. “We’re not alone,” he said.
“Conundrum!” Efysian's voice echoed up the tunnel.
Brett flinched. “That's him,” she said. “That's the creep who took me.”
Jon ran to the edge of the tunnel. Even though Efysian was over sixty feet away in darkness, he and Jon locked eyes. Jon felt an instant enmity between them with every fiber of his being. Then, with a flash of light and a sound like thunder, Efysian disappeared. The vibration of his transport triggered a rockslide.
“Get yourselves out!” Jon shouted.
Heedless of the consequences, he jumped down onto the stone ledge and peered into the gloom, searching for a way across the grotto. A hand descended onto his shoulder and yanked him backward just as a huge slab of rock came crashing down. “What do you think you're doing, Hansen?” Fred yelled. “Are you crazy?”
Jon struggled to free himself. “I have to go after him. He’s got my dad!”
As dirt and rocks crumbled and slid down the sides of the cavern, Fred raised his fist, poised to strike. “Don’t make me knock you out, Jon!”
“You’re not going through there,” Kira shouted over the noise.
“We've got to go, now!” Casey yelled. “This place is caving in.”
“There's another way in, Jon. I've seen it. Please, let's go,” Brett pleaded.
Jon didn’t want to leave, but he allowed Fred to pull him away. With the grotto collapsing behind them, they raced up the steep passageway toward the light. Surrounded by a cloud of dust, they pushed through a thick veil of vines and emerged into daylight, coughing and blinking.
“We cut our escape a little fine,” Casey said.
“You think so?” Fred retorted.
Covered with dirt and chips of rock, Fred began to dust himself off. Jon suddenly realized if Fred hadn’t been there, he would have been killed.
“Hey…thanks for coming back for me, Fred,” he said.
“Er…you guys were taking too long.”
“You saved my life.”
Fred shrugged. “You’re my ride, remember?”
“You really risked your neck in there…thank you,” Jon said.
“Don’t mention it,” Fred said.
“Hello, Fred,” Brett said. “I’m surprised to see you here. I’m surprised to see all of you, actually.”
Fred stuck out his chest. “We came to rescue you…although it kinda looked like you were doing okay on your own.”
“Where in the world are we?” Brett asked.
“Wolf Mountain,” Kira replied.
Brett shrugged. “Is that anywhere near Big Bear? I go skiing there every few years.”
They stood on a wide, flat ledge directly in front of the triangular tunnel entrance. The ledge dropped off sharply after several yards. Fred grimaced as he peeked over the side.
“Without climbing equipment, we’re not getting down that way,” he said. “Unless we want to go ‘splat.’”
“You could probably transport five people, Jon, but where to?” Casey asked.
“I left my knapsack at the stream,” Jon said. “Maybe we should go back for it.”
Fred pointed to two shiny specks in the sky. “It's Adam and Eve!” he yelled. “I never thought I’d be happy to see dragons.”
“How did they know where to find me?” Jon asked, astonished.
“It's the power of your ring,” Kira replied. “It’s said that dragons have a kind of homing instinct when it comes to Dragon Clan wizards.”
“Hello? Wizards, dragons, and powerful rings? What are you talking about? Has everyone gone insane?” Brett asked.
“No, we’ve gone to Yden,” Jon said.
He maneuvered Brett until she was facing the suns. Her jaw dropped. “Wait a minute…Jon, do you want to explain what's going on here?” she squeaked.
He started to reply, but Ophelia was glowing with fierce intensity. He found himself unable to look away. Then...
On the mountainside no longer, Jon stood in the middle of a large cavern. Efysian materialized next to him. His hair and skin were completely white, and he was almost bent double with age. Although his breath rattled in his chest, Efysian's eyes were still sharp. He stared at Jon, but as if in a dream, Jon was unable to move or speak.
Efysian walked right through him.
The Wolf Clan wizard hobbled toward a column of flickering light. Then he sank to his knees and crawled. Dr. Hansen stood in the light, immobile, but as Efysian’s strength faded, he’d begun to stir. Greggoran Hansen’s eyelids opened. As his eyes locked onto his son, his face radiated love and pride.
He extended his arms until his hands emerged from the light, but Efysian lurched forward. When his withered hands touched the column, the light surged. He appeared to be gaining strength. Streaks of black began to mix with the gray in his hair and his spine straightened. A few seconds later, Efysian had completely regained the appearance and vitality of his youth and Dr. Hansen was conscious no more.
As Efysian stood, Jon could see the anger etched on his features. His rage was so fearsome Jon began to shake. The shaking grew stronger...
Casey shook him. “Snap out of it, Jon,” he said. “We've got trouble.”
Brett took his hand, her brow creased with worry. “What just happened to you?”
“You zoned out on us,” Fred said. “If you hadn’t come around, I was going to be forced to slug you.” He chuckled at the thought.
Embarrassed to find tears on his face, Jon quickly brushed them away. “Dad knows I'm here. He was sending me a message.”
“My dad uses a cell phone,” Fred said.
Kira pointed at a dark cloud roiling in their direction. It writhed and twisted in an unnatural way. “Gnoamian Imps.”
“How very special,” Fred groused. “I haven’t stopped bleeding from the last time.”
Chapter Eighteen
Tyrg and His Inner Rodent
Adam and Eve raised a cloud of dirt when they landed. When the dust settled, Jon saw his knapsack and Casey's backpack clutched in Adam's claws. Eve had brought the harnesses with her. Adam and Eve wagged their tails as Jon stroked their necks.
“You two are amazing,” he said.
Brett stared, wide-eyed. “Are those what I think they are?”
Fred puffed out his chest. “Don't worry about the dragons. I won't let 'em eat you.”
“Kira, do you see Mandral's spyrrow anywhere?” Jon asked.
She scanned the mountainside. “There!” she cried, pointing at a scrawny tree.
“Got it,” Jon said.
He pitched a fast fireball. The bird took flight when it saw the incoming missile, but too late. It plummeted to the ground in flames.
“Not bad,” Fred acknowledged. “The bird is roasted and you get ten points.”
“One problem solved,” Jon said. “Casey and Fred, saddle up Adam and Eve and fly the girls off this mountain. There’s something I have to do before I catch up.”
From the moment Jon had seen Efysian, he’d wanted to tear him apart. Evil oozes out of the cur, he thought. He's been draining wizards to keep himself vital. After I open a can of smackdown on Efysian, maybe I'll go offer up a serving to Mandral next. Little flames began to shoot out of his clenched fists.
Kira guessed his thoughts. “Don’t be foolish, Jon Hansen. You cannot fight Efysian yet.
He will kill you, and then all of Yden will be defenseless.”
“We have to leave before the Gnoamian Imps arrive,” Casey said. “You can always transport back later.”
Jon wanted to argue. The need to rescue his father was so strong it was burning him from the inside out. But he knew deep down he wasn’t ready to battle Efysian. He let the flames die—for now.
“Dorsit told me to find ‘kicksoran,’” he said. “But I don't know what that is.”
“Quixoran?” Kira repeated. “He’s an old wizard. He’s not been seen for turns. If he’s still alive, I think he’s on an island off the southern coast.”
Jon took the harnesses from Eve and tossed one to Fred. “Let's head south.”